


Come Away With Me [Songfic Series]

by Sandnose



Category: DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Characters and Tags will be added on as we go along, Hurt/Comfort, I'm kind of making this up on the fly, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jason's Death, M/M, Norah Jones - Freeform, Songfic, and now here we are, attempted relationship advice, but it wouldn't be possible without her, it started out as headcanons, might go into detail about it eventually, she isn't like a character in it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26584753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandnose/pseuds/Sandnose
Summary: Jason and Roy share a favorite album:Come Away With Meby Norah Jones.Sure, it's corny, but corny fits their relationship, and they think that the music is super romantic. They find they can relate to a lot of the songs, and some manage to hit a little closer to home than they'd expect...
Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Kudos: 24





	1. Don't Know Why

**Author's Note:**

> I grew up listening to this album and it's definitely one of my personal favorites, so if you haven't heard it, [give it a listen](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8Lpw39GxwbNEoB_LstYRWwmEhJMZvKtV)! (link's to a YouTube playlist of the songs)
> 
> This work was inspired by my [Jayroy Music Headcanons](https://ya-boy-roy-toy.tumblr.com/post/629841854397022208/jayroy-music-headcanons), which revolve specifically around this album.
> 
> I do not have any ties to the DCU or Norah Jones, and am making this as a pleasure project. Credit is due to the original creators for their work that has inspired me.

Roy let out a low groan of annoyance as he heard the opening chords of the song come out over his truck’s speakers. He had been driving in silence long enough that he thought turning on the radio would bring a welcome change of pace. Now he was tempted to shut it off again.

At first, he thought that Jason had left the CD in the player, but frustratingly punching in the eject button revealed that that was not the case. It was playing over the radio waves, and as fate would have it Roy’s truck just happened to pick it up.

Roy spared some bitter thoughts about fate as the singer’s voice broke into his mind. He tried in vain to ignore the lyrics, but “ _I don’t know why I didn’t come_.” kept repeating as if it were mocking him.

He and Jason had been fighting, again. This time it was a disagreement about how a job had been taken care of, more specifically how Jason had ended up taking care of the job by himself because Roy had had “better things to do”— this mainly being frequenting the swanky bar in the high-end hotel they were undercover in. Now he was speeding down a lonely road in the middle of nowhere on his way towards more “better things to do”— though, this time, being an isolated rehab center.

He had left Jason without saying a word. He just slipped out before dawn and took off without a second glance. He had not felt any doubt about his actions until this damn song came on. Now all he wanted to do was turn around and go back to his partner.

_No._ He had to do this. He had to go through the 12 steps to better himself before he came crawling back and started the whole process over again. Besides, he would just make Jay angry again. _Useless. Empty._

The lyrics of the song bled into his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Back to the long, barren stretch of road that spread out ahead and behind him. Endlessly.

Leaving Jason without a word just did not sit well with him, but he did not want to be rejected again if all his actions had done was piss his partner off more. Yet, he had figured them “taking a break” would have been inevitable, knowing they were simply following their relationship’s usual cycle.

Roy gripped the steering wheel tightly, grounding himself in the feeling of it resisting under his hands. He veered off to the side of the road, parking his truck in the low grass near the ditch. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket, but just sat there staring at it in his palm. 

He did not muster the strength to open the device until he heard the singer’s voice fade away as the song ended.

Then, he made the call.


	2. Seven Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight **Warning** for Roy's Addictions, as past Alcoholism/Drug Use is mentioned briefly. Nothing graphic, but it's note worthy.

“Do you remember when Ollie and Bruce would take us out here to meet up when we were little?” Roy said as he looked out across the grassy park, teaming with the vibrant faces of kids and their parents playing on a cool autumn afternoon.

“Heh, yeah.” Jason chuckled lightly to his left on the bench they shared. “Those were the best, and I would look forward to them for weeks.”

“Really?” Roy turned his head to look at Jason to see if he was really just saying that. Jason’s eyes stayed trained on the scene before them, features soft. Content and calm as memories replayed in his mind.

“I especially liked when we would meet up on late evenings; no one would be here, and we could show each other what we had been learning.” A smile showing teeth spread across Jason’s face. “I loved all of the acrobatics and kicks Bruce had been teaching me. And you could shoot down the batarangs I threw like they were nothing.”

“Jay, I can still do that. But, I wouldn’t really want to put money on if you can still do all of those high-kicks.” Roy’s teasing earned him a look from the other, but Jason’s eyes glowed with mirth.

 _Nothing like a trip down memory lane…_ Roy thought to himself, settling back on the bench to resume watching the park bustle around them.

But not all of the memories here were pleasant, at least not for Roy. Flashes of empty beer bottles and the light flickers of needles painted his vision when he closed his eyes. He endured through those memories too, with as much grace as he could muster. Roy took a deep inhalation through his nose.

“I used to come out here,” he paused to release some of the air, hoping that some of the pain would seep out with it, “after they told me what happened to you.” The pain stayed right where it was, clenching white-knuckled to his chest. 

Jason’s lips became a hard, thin line, but he did not say a word. This was Roy’s memory, and he could not say anything on behalf of something he had been _dead_ for.

“I would sit around here at night and see us when we were young.” His eyes were transfixed on the field, seeing beyond the present. “We were like ghosts; just an echo across the field.”

Roy leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees to hold his face. His fingers weaved and twisted into his hair as he tried to pull himself back to reality. 

“It was probably just hallucinations.” He huffed out a hollow laugh that was more on the cusp of a sob. “ _Definitely_ hallucinations.”

Jason leaned forward, mirroring his partner. He slowly hooked his arm under Roy’s, easing his left hand out of the death grip it was taking in his auburn locks. Jason’s fingers worked their way in-between Roy’s stiff digits, his thumb rubbing steady circles to try and release the tension there.

“Well, I promise that you won’t have to hallucinate to have me around anymore.” Jason’s words were careful; he wanted to relax the other, but not put salt in the wound that Roy had decided to expose to him. “I’m here to stay, Roy, and nothing can take me away from you again.”

Roy raised his head at that, just as a gust of wind rushed by the stir up the leaves on the pavement. His mussed hair was swept away from his red-rimmed eyes as they met Jason’s. Jason’s other hand reached across to tuck some strands behind his ear, and Roy leaned into the touch ever so slightly.

“Guess we’ll just have to start making some new memories, eh, Jaybird?” He hoped that the skittering of the dry leaves masked the light tremor in his tone.

Jason’s soft smile returned, and he drew closer to press the lightest of kisses upon Roy’s weak, crooked smile.

“Yeah, I guess we do, babe.”


	3. Cold Cold Heart

“You know what Roy,” the voice over the phone paused to have a spoonful of ice cream, “You should just leave his ass. Especially if he keeps wanting to do this whole ‘on-again-off-again’ thing.” Another spoonful. “It’s _really_ not worth it, believe me.”

“Sure thing, Donna. I’ll keep that in mind for the next time he and I take a break.” That earned him an overdramatic groan from the other end of the line.

“Your entire relationship with Jason is like watching a bad romcom.” This time she chose to speak through her mouthful of ice cream. “You both are such drama queens.”

“Well, he _is_ a Robin, so that’s to be expected.” He quipped and Donna let out a hearty laugh at the comment. At least she did not seem too upset to hear that Jason and Roy had decided to take a break…again…

“Has Jason ever even dated anyone besides you?” she asked.

Roy honestly had to think about the question, carefully considering all of the times they had ever been apart. Never quite long enough to start a new romance, but they had both had their fair share of flings and one night stands in the meantime.

“No. He’s never been romantically involved with anyone else. Hell, it’s hard enough to get him to open up to anyone else.” He picked himself up off of the coach and headed for the kitchenette of his old apartment, where he had decided he could wait out their break. “Donna, I have never felt insecure about our relationship, and I seriously doubt that Jason has ever felt that way either.”

A sigh answered him. “I know, Roy, but this is not—” He opened the fridge to look at the sparse selection it held. “It’s not the _best_ situation to be in.” He reached in and his hand ghosted over one of the bottles of beer sitting on the shelf. “It’s definitely not healthy.” His fingertips brushed against the bottle’s neck before he reached behind it for a bottle of soda.

That statement earned a sharp chuckle from Roy. “Us, _healthy_?” He kept making soft giggles as he twisted off the bottle’s cap and took a hardy swig. “Donna, let me remind you, you’re talking to a recovering addict about ‘taking a break’ with his recovering-from-death partner. We are by absolutely no means the poster children for healthy _anything_.”

Donna did not laugh.

“Roy, you are one of my best friends, and I only ever want what’s best for you. That’s why I really, _really_ want you to stop and think this through.” She said, her words heavy with sincerity. “This is not the first time you guys have been through this, and it likely won’t be the last. You really should consider the underlying reasons for this. It’s probably completely out of your control, and that needs to be something you consider before you keep going through with this.”

Roy had thought about this before, about _them_ before. Long and hard. The first few times he had nearly worried himself into a frenzy thinking it was all his fault – he had been going through some rough patches with his recovery at the time, and it had started the cycle of them taking breaks for Roy to be able to go to rehab and get the help he desperately needed. Help Jason could not give him, because Jason had too many of his own demons to deal with. And that was when Roy had made the realization that Jason never took breaks to push Roy away, but instead to protect Roy from the worst of him. 

That was where they were now; Roy had been doing really well to stay clean, but both of them knew that that was really when he was at his most fragile. Roy’s triggers were more obvious than Jason’s, and they both were still trying to figure out how best to handle Jason’s ongoing _sensitivities_. So, when Jason had noticed he was starting to grow more and more tense, he decided to save Roy from when he would undoubtedly snap. Roy did not argue, knowing that Jason was doing this for _his_ sake, because he cared so much for Roy and how far Roy had come. He did not want to be someone who caused Roy any more pain.

“Roy?”

The voice beside his ear startled him out of his thoughts and back to the present. 

“Sorry Donna, I was too busy _thinking_.” He knew that had earned him an eyeroll from the other woman. “And I promise I will continue to think about it.”

“Yeah, yeah. You can keep thinking about it while you sit in the dark and listen to sappy Jazz music.” Roy was about to argue when she cut him off. “I _know_ you, Roy Harper. Now go be moody on your own.”

“And let you finish off the rest of that tub of ice cream.” She let out an indignant snort. “Yeah, I know _you_ , Donna Troy.”

They ended the phone call with well wishes and the promise of a follow-up call in the next few days. Roy was left alone in his dimly lit apartment, a bottle of soda slowly sweating in his hand.

He reached out and turned up the volume dial on his sound system with a socked foot. He let the music wash over him as his reclined back on the couch and took a long swig from the bottle in his hand, resisting the urge to seek out something stronger.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to see more of my Roy Harper/Jayroy Headcanons, fanworks, send an ask, or just hang out, please come visit me over on Tumblr [@ya-boy-roy-toy](https://ya-boy-roy-toy.tumblr.com/) or come join my Discord [JayRoy Creatives](https://discord.gg/sdPYcGVmbm)


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